The Xuanhuang Stronghold, as the most crucial outpost of the Yan Alliance besides the Gama Empire, naturally hosts a large number of Dan Hall personnel. Moreover, due to the outbreak of the great war, roughly eighty percent of Dan Hall's current staff are now stationed within its outposts inside the stronghold. Since ancient Hei returned to the Dan Hall with what Xiao Yan had said, it was no surprise that a significant upheaval ensued. For years, the Dan Hall had enjoyed exceptional stability, and the prestige of its alchemists had grown, leading to a pronounced sense of arrogance. Even Princess Cai Lin, usually strict, had rarely spoken to them with such firmness. Though Xiao Yan was the Grand Master of the Yan Alliance, having been absent for so long, many of the alchemists who joined the Alliance more recently knew him only through others' accounts, and thus held him in far less reverence than the alchemists of other halls. The Dan Hall's branch is located in the northwest of the Xuan Huang stronghold, where a vast area belongs to the Dan Hall's jurisdiction—this level of recognition ranks among the very top among all the halls within the Yan Alliance. In the hall, Furukawa sat in the foremost position, his brow slightly furrowed but silent. Though he possessed strong talent in alchemy, he was genuinely not adept at management. Beside him sat an elderly man with white hair, none other than the former head of the Alchemy Guild, Fama. Yet at this moment, Fama remained utterly silent, barely glancing at the disputes unfolding around him, as though he had not heard a word. Hearing this, Furukawa's brow slightly furrowed, glanced at Fama beside him, but the latter paid no attention, remaining closed-eyed. Thus, Furukawa had to say, "The Grand Master is also a pharmacist, and his pharmaceutical expertise far surpasses ours—he's certainly no outsider in this field." "Furukawa, that's not quite accurate. The Grand Master has been away for years, and now the Ancestral Pharmacy has changed dramatically. How could he possibly know better than we do?" "The elder known as Liu Chang spoke calmly, then smiled at the end, saying, 'Moreover, crafting eighth-rank pills isn't just a matter of words—everyone should be well aware of that. The Grand Marshal's strength is indeed formidable, but it doesn't necessarily mean he can currently produce eighth-rank pills. We all hold seventh-rank senior alchemical positions, and we know firsthand how difficult it is to advance to eighth-rank alchemical master. The Grand Marshal is still so young; his chances of making the breakthrough are probably not very high...' 'As for whether the Grand Marshal can craft eighth-rank pills, that's not something we need to worry about. As long as each of you arrives on time tomorrow, and don't make any mistakes yourselves, the Grand Marshal won't mind. That's all. Now, please all disperse.' Ancient He frowned slightly, then spoke with growing impatience. Upon hearing this, Liu Chang and the other elder exchanged slightly concerned glances, though they couldn't say much more—Ancient He's standing reputation in the Hall of Pills was indeed superior to theirs. With that, they bowed slightly and turned to leave, each taking their respective groups with them." With their departure, the hall instantly grew empty. Ancient River waved his hand to send the others away as well, then turned to Famu, offering a wry smile. "Famu, how do you see this situation?" "As you've surely noticed over the years, the atmosphere within the Herbs and Roots Hall has evolved—your management style hasn't quite suited it, which has allowed Li Chang and his colleagues to grow steadily in influence..." Famu finally opened his eyes, holding his teacup gently, and said softly, "I recommend you refrain from intervening too much. You're well aware of the Grand Marshal's approach—he's firm when it comes to decisive action. When necessary, he won't hesitate to make tough moves. While the Herbs and Roots Hall is significant, it doesn't exert substantial pressure on the Grand Marshal. Indeed, its dissolution isn't beyond the realm of possibility. Moreover, with the Grand Marshal's current strength and vision, he may not even regard the present state of the Herbs and Roots Hall as particularly valuable." "Guo He felt a slight chill in his heart. He knew that Fang Ma had grown wiser with age, and since Liu Chang and the others had gradually gained influence and taken on leadership roles, Fang Ma had always been inclined toward retirement, rarely intervening in daily affairs. Yet, no one in the Ancestral Hall could underestimate his power—after all, many of the original members of the Ancestral Hall had come from the Herbalist Guild, and they still held deep trust in Fang Ma. The older generation of Ancestral Hall members were largely aligned with Fang Ma's faction." … The next morning, as the first rays of dawn fell upon Xuanhuang Fort, the Dan Hall grew lively. Many pharmacists who had received orders rose early and hurried to the pill-making plaza. However, several senior figures from the Dan Hall—such as Gu He and Fama—had already arrived early and were waiting in place. Upon seeing Xiao Yan appear, the Guo He group promptly bowed respectfully, while the other alchemists quickly joined in. Xiao Yan slowly scanned the crowd below and gave a slight nod—indeed, compared to the past, the Hall of Alchemy had grown considerably in scale, which made it only natural that various issues had arisen. With a swift movement, Xiao Yan materialized on a tall alchemy stone platform in the square, and calmly stated, "Today, we will begin the forging of eighth-rank alchemical pills. Everyone is encouraged to observe closely, as this will prove immensely beneficial for your future endeavors." Hearing this, many were struck with surprise, even though they had heard rumors before—yet when they heard Xiao Yan personally announcing the forging of eighth-rank pills, they could not help but feel a sense of awe. Such high-quality pills, capable of being produced, were likely rare even across the entire western-northern continent. With those words, Xiao Yan simply settled himself onto the stone platform, raising his hand to have the medicine cauldron float before him, and with a gentle touch of his palm, clusters of herbs pulsing with immense energy spiraled around him. "Ah, I arrived a little late—almost missed the Grand Master's alchemy session..." Suddenly, a laugh echoed as two elderly figures led about thirty others swiftly approaching from outside the plaza. The gray-robed elder first bowed respectfully to Xiao Yan on the dais, then smiled. Xiao Yan's gaze remained fixed on the group, slowly sweeping over them before he finally smiled. "Since you've come, then let's take our seats..." Hearing Xiao Yan's calm, unbothered tone, Liu Chang and Wu Zhen's eyes flickered slightly—only then did they realize that the Grand Master, though appearing so youthful, was far from the easy target they had expected. The two of them exchanged glances, feeling a subtle sense of unease, but it quickly subsided. As true senior seventh-rank alchemists, they were among the most accomplished on the western continent. If either of them were lost, even the powerful In Flame Alliance would surely suffer significantly. Xiao Yan glanced at the group and then turned his gaze away, flicking his finger—purple-brown flames roared in and surged into the cauldron. With a sweeping motion of his sleeve, the nearly three hundred herbs swirling around him were successively launched into the cauldron, instantly consumed by the flames. The entire process flowed seamlessly, without a single pause. "Such a terrifying spiritual pressure..." Ancient River also exhaled deeply, murmuring.